Blog

Contents:

• Message from the CA Director: Well done on the lobby day!
• State & Local News: News From Communities All Over California
• Public Meetings & Events: Sacramento, Santa Rosa, & Riverside
• Court Support: Submit dates for court support!
• Take Action Now: Support medical cannabis bills in CA & More
• ASA Website Spotlight: Vote Medical Marijuana
• Chapter & Affiliate Meetings: Nevada County, San Diego, Sacramento, & Yuba County

ASA’s fourth citizen lobby day in California was a big success. Approximately 150 patients and other stakeholders attended, and they visited more than fifty legislative offices – plus a lot of impromptu visits initiated by attendees themselves. Participants asked lawmakers to support ASA’s proposed Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act and SB 1193 (Evans), the return of property bill. They also expressed a variety of opinions on the controversial SB 1262 (Correa/Ammiano).

After the lobby day, a standing-room only crowd gathered to watch Sebastopol Mayor Robert Jacob, ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer, and me present term-limited Assembly Member Tom Ammiano with a certificate of appreciation for his years of work on behalf of medical cannabis patients. Assembly Member Bill Quirk, Senator Mark Leno, and staff members from several legislative offices joined us for the reception.

We spent a long time talking about SB 1262 at the lobby day. There is a lot of concern, indecision, and support for the bill among our base. Of the twenty five attendees who returned our survey on lobby day, eight supported SB 1262, six opposed it, and ten were undecided (one did not answer the question). Most had helpful input and suggestions. I will be interested in seeing how those numbers change as others return their surveys or complete them online. There are action alerts for the two current bills and ASA's Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act in the "Take Action" Section of this email.

I want to say a special thank you to the volunteers who helped pull off the lobby day this year, and to our sponsors: The Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance, Organicann, Peace in Medicine, SPARC, Buds & Roses, and the Emerald Growers Association.

California & National News

New York Times' Marijuana Ad: Cannabis Company ‘Leafly’ Buys Full-Page Spread In Sunday Paper (National)
Phillip Ross, New York Times

The New York Times’ Sunday edition featured its first full-page ad promoting marijuana. The ad was for a mobile app called Leafly, which bills itself as the “Yelp for marijuana” and allows users to browse a catalog of cannabis products and find and review medical marijuana dispensaries in their area.
Read more here.

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California’s Medical Marijuana Industry Will Be Able to Make a Legal Profit — for the First Time (California)
David Downs, Smell the Truth

A landmark medical marijuana bill altering the rules for growing and selling the botanical now has a pivotal date in the California Assembly coming up. Senate Bill 1262 is scheduled to be heard in Assembly Appropriations on Aug. 13, according to a new update on the Assembly’s website.
Read more here.

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Cali pot rules getting patient-friendly, ASA says (California)
David Downs, Smell the Truth

California’s draft medical marijuana legislation – SB 1262 – is getting more user-friendly after a day of lobbying in Sacramento by over 100 patients. Advocacy group Americans for Safe Access’ former director of Governmental Affairs Caren Woodson took to Facebook yesterday afternoon to celebrate patient-friendly changes that she said ASA helped facilitate. She also blasted other advocacy groups like Drug Policy Alliance that have opposed the bill since the beginning.
Read more here.

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Dry California Fights Illegal Use of Water for Cannabis (California)
Melena Ryzik, New York Times

An abandoned recreational vehicle was the first clue. In this hamlet two hours north of San Francisco and barely a mile from the largest natural freshwater lake in the state, the trailer sat on a hill, hidden from the main drag. Behind it rose a flimsy fence, tall enough to shield its bounty: 50 marijuana plants in hastily constructed wooden boxes.
Read more here.

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Santa Clara County medical marijuana proponents upset by dispensary ban (Santa Clara County)
Bay City News Service, San Jose Mercury News

Medical marijuana proponents today are expressing extreme disappointment with the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors' decision Tuesday to ban dispensaries in unincorporated parts of the county. The supervisors voted Tuesday to both ban the establishment of dispensaries in unincorporated parts of the county and to extend a temporary moratorium on dispensaries until the ban becomes effective on Sept. 25.
Read more here.

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Cannabis farmers market's supporters fight to keep it open (Los Angeles)
Veronica Rocha, Los Angeles Times

Kathy Bolivar lives with debilitating pain that interrupts her ability to carry on a normal life and relies on medical marijuana to relieve some of her symptoms. But the 38-year-old Highland Park resident was never able to find the right marijuana strain to treat her trigeminal neuralgia, a nerve disorder. "It is constant -- the pain is 24/7," she said. That was the case until she visited Los Angeles' first-ever cannabis farmers market over the Fourth of July weekend at West Coast Collective in Boyle Heights.
Read more here.

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California medical marijuana patients file suit over pollution caused by driving to get pot (San Diego)
Big News Network

A group of California medical marijuana patients have filed a lawsuit involving air pollution, and it has nothing to do with the smoke that they produce. The Union of Medical Marijuana Patients has filed a suit about the way that the city of San Diego has authorized medical marijuana co-ops in the city by restricting the businesses to certain areas. The current set up allegedly does not comply with the California Environmental Quality Act.
Read more here.

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Hundreds of locals rely on medical marijuana to ease suffering (Paso Robles)
Heather Young, Paso Robles Daily News

Because the Paso Robles City Council deadlocked, 2-2, on whether or not to ban mobile medical marijuana dispensaries at its meeting on July 15, the issue is coming up for a vote again tonight. For some locals, the issue is personal. A ban of mobile dispensaries in Paso Robles would mean that patients served by a handful of collectives and dispensaries would have to drive at least two hours to a walk-in dispensary, drive to a city where mobile dispensaries are not banned and conduct the transaction in a parking lot or get marijuana through illegal means.
Read more here.

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Costa Mesa Council Rejects Marijuana Ballot Initiative (Costa Mesa)
Thy Vo, Voice of OC

The Costa Mesa city council Tuesday night rejected a last-minute November ballot proposal that would have regulated medical marijuana cultivation and dispensaries. The ballot initiative, proposed by Councilman Gary Monahan, failed to win support from any of the other four council members and his motion to put the issue on the city’s ballot died for lack of a second. Items for the November ballot are due to the County Registrar of Voters this Friday.
Read more here.

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Despite concerns, voters to weigh cannabis tax (Santa Cruz)
Jason Hoppin, Santa Cruz Sentinel

Over objections from patients and the local medical marijuana industry, Santa Cruz County voters will have a chance in November to tax dispensaries, joining a handful of cities and counties statewide. Affirming an earlier vote, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors said it would ask voters in November for a 7 percent levy on dispensary receipts, which operators strongly object to as too high. While the county says it needs the cash to enforce new marijuana regulations, pot growers — some of whom have been the focus of enforcement efforts over environmentally damaging farms — won't be taxed, and the funds could be spent however the county wishes.
Read more here.

Public Meetings & Events

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 – CA Assembly Appropriations Committee (Sacramento)
9:00 AM in Room 4202 of the State Capitol Building. The committee will vote on SB 1193 (Evans) and SB 1262 (Correa/Ammiano). Watch live on Cal Channel.

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Saturday, August 30, 2014 – Sonoma Blossom Festival (Santa Rosa)
2:00 PM – 12:00 AM at the Arlene Francis Event Center, 99 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. http://tinyurl.com/l6ym3l2 Music, food, guest speakers, patient area, & more. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. www.FaceBook.com/SonomaBlossomFestival for information.

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Tuesday, September 23, 2014 – Riverside County Board of Supervisors (Riverside)
Time TBA at 4080 Lemon St, Riverside, CA 92501. Join patients and advocates to tell Supervisors not to ban outdoor medical cannabis cultivation.  More details soon.

Court Support

What is Court Support and how do I get involved?

No new court dates were submitted by ASA members this week.

Find additional listings on The Human Solution Calendar.

Take Action Now

Support SB 1262 in the California Assembly

The California Assembly will soon vote on SB 1262, a bill to regulate doctors who write medical cannabis recommendations and people and businesses that commercially cultivate, process, test, and sell it. Research conducted by Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and our experience of almost twelve years of regulation at the city and county level show that regulations preserve safe, legal, and dignified access to medicine for patients; while reducing crime and complaints in neighborhoods. That is a win-win situation for most Californians.

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Support SB 1193 in the California Assembly

SB 1193 is a bill by California Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) that would require that law enforcement return wrongfully-confiscated medical cannabis or plants or pay the owner reasonable compensation. The bill also simplifies the procedures for handling cannabis and plants seized as evidence. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) supports this bill because law-abiding patients have a right to get their property back.

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Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act

A patient in California can be denied a life-saving organ transplant solely based on the fact that he or she uses medical cannabis! Legal patients have died after being removed from the organ transplant list, and others are in jeopardy right now. Americans for Safe Access, the nation's leading medical cannabis patients' advocacy organization, proposes legislation to prevent anyone from being denied a transplant because of medical cannabis. Sign this petition to let lawmakers know you support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act to provide equal access to health care for legal patients.

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Urge your Senator to pass CJS Medical Marijuana Amendment

The US House of Representatives voted late Thursday (May 30, 2014) night to cut off funding for federal medical cannabis raids, arrests, and prosecutions in states where it is legal. The same CJS amendment must still be introduced in the Senate and pass there as well. We're doing our part by lobbying on Capitol Hill, but we desperately need your help contact your Senators and asking for their support to this amendment. Contact California Senators Feinstein and Boxer today.

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Join Americans for Safe Access (ASA)

This is the final week of ASA’s Spring Membership Drive. Have you joined yet?  Be sure to take advantage of some great membership incentives right now. ASA is the nation’s leading medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization. The patients, medical professionals, scientists, concerned citizens, and other who comprise ASA are committed to promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA works in partnership with state, local and national legislators to overcome barriers and create policies that improve access to cannabis for patients and researchers.

ASA Website Spotlight

Vote Medical Marijuana

Every vote is a vote for Medical Marijuana. VoteMedicalMarijuana.org gives American voters a new criterion to evaluate candidates based on their legislative records on medical marijuana policy. It creates a new impetus to bring these voters to the polls for every election, as medical marijuana issues are at stake every time they vote. It is also a tool to let elected officials know that voters are tracking their positions every time they support or impede medical marijuana legislation. 

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 - Nevada County ASA (Grass Valley)
The meeting starts at 6:00 PM at The Banner Grange, 12629 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, CA 95949. Email [email protected] for more information.

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Tuesday, August 12, 2014 - San Diego ASA (San Diego)
The meeting starts at 7:30 PM at Giovanni's Restaurant - 9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92123. Email [email protected] for more information.

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Tuesday, August 12, 2014 – Sacramento NORML
Held at Perkos Farm Fresh Cafe at 3rd and J, 925 3rd Street, Sacramento, California 95814.

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Thursday, August 14, 2014 - San Diego ASA (Imperial Beach)
The meeting starts at 6:00 PM at 1233 Palm Ave, Imperial Beach, CA 91932. Email [email protected] for more information.

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Thursday, August 14, 2014 - Yuba County ASA (Foothills)
The meeting starts at 7:00 PM at the Willow Glen Restaurant. Email [email protected] for more information.

Have something to share?

The “California Weekly Roundup” is a once-a-week email for ASA Members and Friends that focuses on relevant news and important updates, action alerts, meetings and special events. Send items for the California Weekly Roundup to [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's distribution.